Continuous grating structure



Oct. 29, 1929. P. l.. PRICE CONTINUOUS @RATING STRUCTURE Filed June 21, 1928 maid ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES PAUL LEON PRICE, MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, SIGNOR TO IRVING IRON WORKS COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK l CONTINUOUS GRATING STRUCTURE Application led June 21,

This invention relates to metal structures which may serve as ventilated loorings, runways and similar structures, and also as metal reenforcements for all kinds of concrete structures. It consists essentially of a simple form of interlocking joint by which standardized panel units of grating, each comprising a plurality of straight bars and intervening bent strips connecting and spacing apart said bars, may be conveniently and easily bolted, pinned or spot-welded together on the job so as to produce a built-up structure `of indefinite length and of substantially uniform mesh throughout, the joints in which structure shall present nearly the same resistance to both longitudinal and bending stresses as do the main bodies of the component panels themselves.

In substance it presents another embodiment of the basic idea disclosed in Patent No. 1,609,134, granted May 17, 1927, upon an application of W. A. Van Hoffen, and is primarily distinguished from the specific construction illustrated in the said Van yHoffen patent by an interlocking feature at bolted, pinned or welded junctions which presents certain advantages hereinafter pointed out.

The best form of apparatus at present known to me embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings in which k.

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofbthe right hand end of a standard unit panel of such grating, the other end being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the lefthand end of a similar panel.

Fig. 3 is a/plan view of the joint formed when the ends of two panels shown separately in Figs. 1 and 2 are joined and pinned together by splitcotter pins, the particular eX- ample of fastening means there illustrated.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a detail, perspective view of a portion of such joint, parts 'being broken away and others shown in section.

Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts. 1, 3, 5 and 7 represent portions of the parallel straight bars in the rlght-hand panel. 2, 4 and 6rep- 1928. Serial No. 287,291.

resent intervening bent strips fastened to the straight bars by rivets 8, 8, or otherl means in the usual way. Similarly, 11, 13, 15 and 17 at 1', 3c, 5 and 7, a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the main body of the bar, and which odset portions are of a length slightly greater than the length of a single mesh of the grating. The said offset portions of the straight bars (with the exception of the outer bar 1 of each panel which would form the outer edge of an entire {ioor or runway) have notches 3h, 5b and 7" -cut preferably in the upper edges of a size and shape to receive and hook around one of the bent portions of any of the intervening bent strips. To enable such notch to receive the entire width of the bent strips, the straight bars, or at least the ortions of them intended to overlap in a joint, must be deeper than the intervening` bent strips, as shown in the longitudinal section, Fig. 4, where 3-13 are portions of two straight bars which are to overlap, and 4-14 are the adjacent bent strips, in the respective panels.

The straight bars are all of the same length,

but the consecutive bars are staggered longitudinally with reference one to another by a distance substantially equal to half of the grating mesh. The bent strips are also allof equal length, such length, however, being'less than the length of the straight bars by a.dis' tance equal approximately to the length of a grating mesh. `Eachbent strip on one side of an adjacent straight bar is so located with reference to that straight bar that said straight bar projects beyond each end of said bent Y strip by a distance approximately equal to one half a grating mesh. Thus in Fig. 1, the straight bar 15 is shown projecting beyond the corresponding end of the bent strip 14 by one half a mesh length, while in Fig. 2 the straight bar portion, marked 5, which would bea continuation of the part marked 15in Fig. 1, projects one half a mesh length beyond the left hand end of the bent strip portion 4, which in any panel unit would be a continuation of'the partmarkedlLl in Fig. 1. Similarly each straight bar, as 5-15, has its lefthand end in the same transverse line as the lefthand end of the bentl strip 6-16 which is on its other side, while its right hand end projects, as shown in Fig. 1, a distance of a whole mesh length beyond the right hand end of the bent strip 6-16.

Those portions l, 3, 5, 11a, 13, &c. which project beyond the ends of the bent strips, and the ends 2a, 4a, 12a, 14, &c. of all the bent strips, are all left free from fastening means when the panel is manufactured in the factory, as shown in Figs. l and 2, but have registering holes 10, 9, punched through them at standard rivet positions, as also indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

When the abutting ends ofv any two panels are brought together, so that the straight bars overlap one with another and the ends of the bent strips also overlap a sufficient distance to permit their rivetfperforations to register one with another, each notch 3", 5b, 7", &c. in each straight bar can engage and hook around the bent portion of the free end 12,

. 14a, 16a, &c. of the bent strip of the next panel terminating at that point, and when the thus interleaved elements are connected together by a split pin 10 or any other convenient fastening means such as bolts, the thus abutting and overlapping elements of the respective panels are all securely fastened together.

To increase the resistance of the joint to Vtransverse bending strains, the overlapping portions of the straight bars, as la, 11, 3, 13a, &c. will be bolted orA pinned together at 9, 9, as shown in Fig. 3. The end portions of all straight bars having4 been punched in the shop as indicated at 9a in Figs. 1 and 2, can receive such fastening means 9, when they are overlapped to form a joint, shown in Fig. 3.

Preferably in making such joint the end (as 2a) of each bent strip is sprung away from the offset portion (as 3a) of its adjacent straight bar 3 in making the joint about a distance sufficient to permit the end (as 12a) of the corresponding bent strip of the next panel to be insertedy under it in the,notch- 3b of the straight bar, all as shown in the drawings, but

' these particular relative positions might be varied.

It is evident that the joint between any two abutting panels of grating thus formed will present nearly as great a resistance to longitudinal strains tending to pull themapart, as do the main bodies of the panels themselves, that the straight bars of any two panels being oinedi together Vby the long splices at 9, 9, and 'said splices being staggered in consecutive lines of straight bars, the resistance of the joint to transverse bending strains will grating formed by the joining together of a series of panels in this manner will present a substantially uniform mesh throughout. The resistance to longitudinally exerted stresses is rendered particularly effective by the interlocking action of the notches 3b, 5b, &c. in the straight bars hooking around the joints between the surrounding other portions of the grating which are held together by fastening means l0, as well illustrated at the lefthand end of Fig. 5.

It is also evident that various changes could be made in the details of the structure illustrated and above described without departing from the underlying principles of the invention above set out generically. Other forms of grating mesh could be substituted,

the extent of overlap between straight bars or between bent strips or both, might be varied from that shown in the drawings. The desired overlapping of the ends of the straight bars might be attained' without the specific and other minor details of conformation-of the elements, or location of fastening means made as might be desirable in any particular CaSe.

- will present substantially all the advantages which might result from the building of such continuous ioorings, &c. by uniting on the job bars and strips of very great length. It will be understood that in building up lioorings of any considerable width, the consttuent strips of flooring structure formed by the use of my invention may be united together side by side with the joints in said respective strips staggered with reference one to another, the general arrangements of these joints and fastenings being similar to those full described in the Van Hoffen patent.

I aving described my invention, I claim:

l. In a continuous grating structure the combination of a series of panels of grating connected together end to end, each panel comprising a plurality of straight bars held together but spaced apart by intervening bent strips fastened to them at spaced apart points, the straight bars `at one end of each panel overlapping laterally the corresponding bars of the next panel and being notched to engage and hook around certain of the joints at the fastening points between the short bent offset such as is shown at 1, 3c, &c.

I ifzaaeoa f1 straight bars and bent strips of said next panel. Y

2. A combination such as defined in claim 1 inwhich the ends of the bent strips located opposite each other in adjacent panelsare also fastened together by the fastening means of the joints engaged by the notched portions of the straight bars.

3. A combination such as defined in claim 1 in which the overlapping portion of each straight bar in any one panel is offset laterally from the remainder of said bar a distance approximately equal to the thickness of such bar and for a space slightly exceeding the length of one mesh of the gratingA 4. As a new article of manufacture a panel of grating adapted for use as a standardized unit in building up continuous grating structures of any desired length, which panel comprises a series of parallel straight bars of uniform length, held together but spaced apart by intervening bent strips of a uniform but lesser length, the ends of each said straight bars projecting substantially equal distances beyond the ends ofa bent strip adjacent one side thereof.

5. Apanel of grating such as defined in claim 4 combined with means adapted for fastening the ends of itsostraight bars to those of a similar, abutting panel.

6. An article such as defined in claim-4 in which the extent of such projection ,is slightly more than half a length of one mesh of the grating, while one end projects about double that distance beyond one end of the bent strip adjacent the other side thereof.

7 A structure such as defined in claim 4 l combined with means adapted for fastening the ends of all straight bars and bent strips to those of any. similar abutting panel.

8. An article such as defined in claim 4 in which the extent of such projection is at least equal to half a length of one mesh of the grating, while one end projects about d ouble that distance beyond the bent strip adjacent the other side thereof and is offset laterally from its main body portion a distance approximately equal to the thickness thereof.

9. As a new article of manufacture a panel of grating adapted for use as a standardized unit in building up continuous grating structures of any desired length, which panel comprises a series of parallel straight bars of uniform length, held together but spaced apart by intervening bent strips of a uniform but lesser length, the ends of each said straight barsprojecting substantially equal distances beyond the ends of a bent strip adjacent one side thereof and said straight bars being arranged in staggered relation one with another, each one being longitudinally displaced with relation to those on Aeither side of it by a distance equal to about one half of the length of a grating mesh.

10. As a new article of manufacture a panel of grating adaptedfor use as a standardized unit in building up' continuous grating structures of any desired length, which panel comprises a series of parallel straight bars of uniform length, held together but spaced apart b intervening bent strips of a uniform but lesser length, the alternate straight bars being arranged in a staggered relation one with another, each being longitudinally displaced with relation to those on either side of it by a distance equal Ito about one half the length of a' grating mesh, and the bent strips being similarly arranged with reference one to another. f

11. An article such as defined in claim 8 Vin which all said straight bars are of a uniform depth greater than the uniform depth of said bent strips, and each straight bar has, near one end thereof, a notch in one edge of a shape which will enable it to receive a bent portion of the said adjacent bent strip.

12. As a new article of manufacture, a

Q panel of grating comprising a series of straight bars of uniform length and depth held together but spaced apart by intervening bent strips of uniform but lesser lengths and depths, the ends of each straight bar projecting substantially equal distances beyond the ends of a bent strip adjacent one side thereof, one of the ends of each straight bar having a portion offset laterally from its main body a distance approximately equal to the thickness-thereof and being provided with a notch in one edge of said offset portion cf a shape that will enable it to receive and hook around a bent portion of said adjacent bent strip.

13. As a new article o'f manufacture a panelof grating adapted for use as a standardized unit in building up a continuous grating structure of any desired length, which panel comprises a series of straight bars held together but spaced apart by intervening, shorter bent strips riveted thereto, the end portions of certain of said members being free from such fastenings and so notched in their edges as to be capable of hooking around portions of the bent strips in another, similar and abutting panel; whereby, when a plurality of such panels are placed end to end, the corresponding straight bars may overlap one another while the notched members may constitute elements of interlocking joints.

14. An article such as defined in claim 13 in which said bent strips are of less depth than said straight bars.

15. An article suchas defined in claim 13 in which one end of each straight bar has a portion which is adapted to overlap another straight bar and is odset laterally from its main body portion.

PAUL LEON PRICE. 

